Dwayne Smith picked to lead department following current Chief Randy Whitson's retirement

Hanover Police Department s Chad E. Martin, left, was promoted to lieutenant, Craig A. Culp and Robert S. Shanabrook were promoted to sergeant, and new patrol officer Jason Hare was sworn in last week. (SUBMITTED)

Ever since he joined the Hanover Police Department 23 years ago, Dwayne Smith has worked to create bridges with the community.

He was instrumental in developing an officer trading-card program to introduce youngsters to police personnel, and he established the department's bicycle patrol to make officers more visible and provide interaction with residents and business owners.

Smith has regularly met with community organizations and neighborhood watches to offer crime-prevention and safety tips.

Now, as Hanover's next chief of police, Smith will be in a position to see how far he can carry his vision of a "community-oriented, problem-solving department."

"I find it very important for us to work very closely with the members of our community," said Smith, who formally was named the next chief Dec. 26 by the Hanover Borough Council.

Smith will serve as interim chief until Chief of Police Randy Whitson retires on Feb. 3, after more than 30 years on the force.

Smith's promotion was followed by several moves to realign the force. Sgt. Chad E. Martin was promoted to fill Smith's position as lieutenant and detectives Robert S. Shanabrook and Craig A. Culp were both promoted to sergeant. The department also hired Jason Hare as a new patrol officer.

The 25-member department is now Smith's to guide. And Smith said he wants to build on Whitson's efforts to address the "quality of life" issues for the residents of Hanover.

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"If you ask our citizens what they want most, it's to feel safe," Smith said. "We can accomplish that task."

That means not only having a visible police presence and developing a close relationship with the public, but having a certain mindset within the department, Smith explained.

"We're public servants, we're not just cops," he said. "We don't just arrest people. We're there to help people."

Those strong ties to the community also help police to do their jobs.

"We depend on the public," said Martin, who will mark 16 years with the department next month. "We want to make the public feel comfortable approaching us."

"We use our patrols to put our officers out there," he said. "I think it's important to integrate our officers into the community."

A lifelong Hanover-area resident, Smith studied criminal justice at York College and joined Hanover's force in 1989. It's the only department he's worked for.

Smith worked his way up the ranks, being promoted to sergeant in 1999 and lieutenant three years ago.

"It's just a simple work ethic of giving it my all," Smith told council members last month during an open discussion about his vision for the department.

The council held off a formal vote on Smith's promotion until his son Aaron, who is training to be a combat medic with the U.S. Army at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, could attend ceremonies last week. Smith's wife, Julie, and their younger son, Curtis, also attended.

Looking ahead, Smith said there are several issues he'd like to address as chief, including developing a unit to examine traffic safety and congestion areas in the borough.

"I think we can in the future justify a dedicated traffic unit to investigate crashes and give them the autonomy to identify traffic-related problems," he said. "We're moving in that direction already."

The department recently got the equipment and software to perform crash reconstruction and three officers, including Martin, are receiving training.

"In the past we had to rely on outside agencies," Smith said. "The ultimate goal is to make our roads safer."

Smith also plans to emphasize to department personnel during the transition how important it is to have their participation.

"This whole change is about the men and women on the streets," he said. "They do the job every day. They are the problem solvers. The administration is here to help them and make sure they have the tools to do their job.

"Some of the best ideas come from the bottom and work their way up. Allowing that process to take place will help with this transition," said Smith, who developed the department's field-training program to take new officers through their first 12 weeks on the force.

Smith said Whitson encouraged that same participation from his staff.

"Randy's challenged everybody in this department to be better," Smith said. "There is no doubt this ship is moving in the right direction. I couldn't learn from a better individual than Randy."

In the long term, Smith said, he'd like to see the Hanover department receive accreditation through the state, a process that means meeting rigorous policy, procedure and even equipment and building requirements.

"As we go through that self-evaluation we will find areas we can improve on," he said.

Smith pledged to the council to be flexible enough to learn and grow and to give all he can to the department. It's something he has been doing for the past 23 years.

"I may make mistakes along the way but I'll always give 110 percent," he said. "I'll certainly do my best to honor our history and protect our future."